|
Alberta
Physical activity profile
- As many as 63% of Albertans are insufficiently active for
optimal health benefits.
- Physical inactivity declined significantly since the early
1980s, going from 74% in 1981 to 63% in 2000.
- The most popular physical activities for adults over 18
are:
| Gardening, yard work |
84% |
| Walking for exercise |
83 |
| Home exercise |
62 |
| Swimming |
53 |
| Social dancing |
46 |
| Bicycling |
45 |
| Golf |
32 |
| Bowling |
27 |
| Weight training |
27 |
| Baseball, softball |
26 |
| Skating |
26 |
| Jogging, running |
25 |
| Alpine skiing |
21 |
| Soccer |
18 |
| Exercise class, aerobics |
17 |
| In-line skating |
17 |
| Ice hockey |
16 |
| Badminton |
14 |
| Basketball |
14 |
What about children?
- Parents in Alberta report that over half (57%) of children
and youth aged 5-17 are not active enough for optimal growth
and development. For the purposes of this analysis, the term
"active enough" is equivalent to an energy expenditure of
at least eight kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per
day (KKD). For example, a half hour of martial arts plus walking
for a total of at least one hour throughout the day would
be sufficient activity for a child.
- According to Albertan parents, 85% of children aged 5-17
do some physical activity at home, 70% participate in physical
education classes at school, 51% participate in other physical
activities at school outside of physical education, and 64%
participate in physical activities elsewhere.
- The most popular physical activities for children aged 5
to 17 are:
| Swings, slides, teeter-totters* |
88% |
| Bicycling |
84 |
| Walking |
81 |
| Swimming |
80 |
| Tobogganing, other winter activities |
68 |
| Skating |
64 |
| In-line skating |
54 |
| Soccer |
52 |
| Running, jogging |
50 |
| Basketball |
41 |
*This includes only 5-12 year-olds.
Knowledge of physical activity guidelines
- Awareness of guidelines—The
2000 Physical Activity Monitor examined (1) adults' awareness
of physical activity guidelines for adults and (2) their understanding
of the messaging contained in these guidelines. 47% of adults
in Alberta are aware of some guidelines for physical activity.
- Understanding of Guide messages—When
asked whether activity could be accumulated to meet the guidelines,
a key message in Canada's Physical Activity Guide, Albertans
display a mixed understanding about the requirement. Specifically,
51% report that people need to do at least 30 minutes
of physical activity all at one time, and
45% report, as per the Guide, that they need to accumulate
30 minutes of physical activity throughout the day.
Choices in commuting
- Active commuting among adults—In
Alberta, 54% of adults report having walked
during the past year to work, school, for errands, or as a
means of getting around. Those who report walking to commute
did so for 115 days during the past year and spent, on average,
88 minutes walking on those days. (Residents of Alberta report
fewer days walking than the Canadian average.)
In addition, 17% of adults report having bicycled during the past year to commute. On average,
they bicycled to commute 36 days out of the past year.
- Commuting for children: Active choices—According
to Alberta parents, 27% of children aged 5-17 use entirely
active modes to travel to and from school each day.
- Commuting for children: Inactive choices—52%
of children aged 5-17 rely solely on inactive modes of transportation
to travel to and from school.
- Commuting for children: Mixed choices—21%
of children aged 5-17 use a mixed mode, or combination of
active and inactive modes of transportation, to travel to
and from school. Typically, this involves walking for part
of the way and being driven, or taking a bus or other public
transport, for the rest of the trip.
Physical activity programming in the school
environment
- Physical education opportunities at
school—27% of Alberta children aged 5-17 reportedly
receive physical education classes at school 1-2 days each
week. A further 38% participate 3-4 days a week, and 25% receive
daily physical education. Over half (52%) of Alberta parents
believe that their children get enough physical activity through
physical education provided at school.
- Other physical activity programming
at school—66% of Alberta parents report that their
children’s school offers physical activity programs outside
of physical education classes. A total of 40% believe that
these types of programs meet their children’s needs quite
well or very well. However, 44% state that their children’s
needs are met only somewhat well or not at all.
- Use of local physical activity facilities
by schools—81% of Alberta parents indicate that their
children’s school makes use of local community facilities
for school physical activity programming. This can include
trips to local ski hills, community swimming pools, arenas,
and so on.
Children's use of time after school
- Doing sedentary activities after school—Alberta
parents report that 64% of children usually do homework for
part of the time between the end of classes and dinner, and
76% also reportedly engage in other sedentary activities,
such as reading, watching television, or playing computer
or video games. Accurate measures of overall time spent in
sedentary activities during this time were not able to be
derived because children may sometimes do two or more sedentary
activities at once (such as doing homework and watching television
at the same time).
- Doing chores after school—Overall,
54% of Alberta children spend some time doing chores between
the time they finish school and supper.
- Playing outdoors after school—71%
of Alberta children reportedly play outdoors between the time
they finish school and the time they eat dinner.
- Participating in organized activities
after school—36% of Alberta children reportedly spend
time in organized activities, such as soccer practice or swim
classes, between the time they finish school and the time
they eat dinner.
- Participating in unorganized activities
after school—According to Alberta parents, 66% of children
spend time in unorganized physical activities, such as bicycling
or walking, between the time they finish school and the time
they have dinner.
Local opportunities to be active
- Public facilities and programs—The
majority (93%) of Alberta parents report that public facilities
and programs are available locally for their children to do
physical activities. About 65% of Alberta parents believe
that these public facilities and programs meet their children’s
physical activity needs well or very well, while 22% report
that they meet their needs somewhat well, and 13% say that
they do not meet their children’s needs very well or at all.
In addition, 34% of Alberta parents report that their children
use these types of facilities and programs often or very often,
31% use them somewhat often, and 35% use them rarely or not
at all.
- Private facilities and programs—65%
of Alberta parents indicate that local private facilities
and programs are available for their children’s physical activity.
Furthermore, 35% believe that the local private facilities
and programs meet their children’s physical activity needs
well or very well, and 47% report that these facilities do
not meet their children’s needs very well or at all. The majority
of Alberta children (68%) reportedly do not use private facilities
and programs very often or at all.
- Local parks and outdoor spaces—Local
parks and outdoor spaces in which children can do physical
activity are available to most Albertans (95%). Among Alberta
parents, 64% indicate that these types of facilities meet
their children’s needs either well or very well, a further
18% report that they meet their needs somewhat, and 18% believe
that they do not meet their needs very well or at all. In
addition, 41% of Alberta children reportedly use parks and
outdoor spaces often or very often, 32% use them somewhat
often, and 27% do not use them very often or at all.
- Other local places for physical activity—85%
of Alberta parents report that there are other places, like
school yards used after hours, available locally for their
children to do physical activity. Moreover, 48% of all Alberta
parents reporting availability believe that these facilities
meet their children’s needs well or very well, a further 33%
report that they meet these needs somewhat well, and 19% report
that they do not meet these needs very well or at all. Finally,
26% of Alberta children reportedly use these types of facilities
often or very often, 34% use them somewhat often, and 40%
do not use them very often or at all.
Parents in Alberta are more likely than Canadian parents overall
to indicate the availability of such local places for their
children’s physical activity.
- Safety concerns about children’s physical
activity—A total of 17% of Alberta parents report that
they worry a great deal when their children are playing outside
and an additional 18% of parents worry to a moderate degree.
A further 19% worry somewhat, 26% worry a little, and 19%
report that they do not worry at all.
Parents in Alberta are less likely than Canadian parents overall
to report that they worry a great deal about their children’s
safety when they are playing outdoors.
Parental involvement in children's physical
activity
- Playing active games or sports with
children—In Alberta, 38% of parents report playing
active games or sports with their children either often or
very often. A further 38% do this sometimes, and 25% do this
rarely or not at all.
- Transporting children to physical activities—The
majority of Alberta parents (54%) take their children often
or very often to and from places where they can be physically
active. Moreover, 30% do this sometimes and 16% do this rarely
or not at all.
- Volunteering with physical activities—31%
of Alberta parents report that they have supervised recess
or helped out at a physical activity event at school during
the past year. Also, 37% of parents indicate that they have
volunteered to help with their children’s physical activities
outside of school, including volunteering for a sport or recreation
group, serving on a committee, helping at a special event
or outing, or the like.
- Financial support of children’s physical
activity—As many as 72% of Alberta parents report that
during the previous 12 months they have contributed financially
to their children’s physical activities, including buying
equipment, paying a membership or fee, or paying for coaching
or instruction for their children’s physical activity.
Children's physical activity preferences
- Active or sedentary activities?—In
Alberta, 31% of parents report that their children prefer
to spend most of their time being physically active, whereas
17% state that their children prefer mostly quiet activities,
such as watching television, reading, or playing computer
games. In addition, 52% of parents report that their children
like to do both physically active and sedentary activities
equally.
- Organized or unorganized physical activities?—Whereas
40% of Alberta parents report that when their children are
active, they prefer participating in unorganized physical
activities, such as riding a bike, skateboarding, or walking,
fewer (13% in the West) state that their children prefer to
engage in organized activities, such as soccer, dance classes,
or competitive basketball. The remaining 52% of parents say
that their children like organized and unorganized physical
activities equally.
- Vigorous- or moderate-intensity activities?—26%
of Alberta parents report that their children prefer vigorous
physical activities, which involve considerable "running around,"
over moderate activities, which are less strenuous. An equal
proportion (27%) of parents report a preference on the part
of their children for moderate over vigorous activities. In
addition, 43% of parents indicate that their children favour
vigorous- and moderate-intensity activities equally.
|
